Live or Die
by Total-Geek221
Summary: When a young boy's world crumbles around him, he is saved by the most unexpected of creatures. the question is will he live among them or die as a human?


Once upon a time...

No.

Absolutely not.

This story does not begin like a children's book. Like a princess fantasy that makes girls want to wear sparkly ball gowns when they grow up, and boys ride pirate ships that fly.

No.

This story is about a boy.

And a dragon.

And a mouse.

And an enemy.

And as you read, you will realize why this did not begin with once upon a time. It only begins where the story began.

And the story begins where the world began to end.

_This story begins at the end of the world.

The beginning of the end, you could say.

People rushed about, hurrying to pack supplies into underground storage units. For all they knew, it was an above ground storm that would only wipe out the surface. They were wrong.

Amid this mass of confusion and panic stood a boy. A young boy with no hope of survival, no hope of a life outside of the rules. A five year old boy who thought he would never live to see another day.

Yet he stood firm, a rock in the sea of panic, still and quiet. Watching the last rays of light he would ever see slip below the ground. And like a miracle, they shone on him.

It was his only sliver of happiness, the last rays of light on his face. It was something to hang on to.

Seconds later, as the light had died and the sun was asleep, the cruel moon awoke. Watching, waiting. He would be the one to see the world end. He would watch, in glee, and in sorrow. Such was the nature of the moon.

But there was something else awake. Something on the moon. Something the moon did not feel, nor care about. For on the moon was a large building. An observation palace. Every mythical animal under the sun had gathered to watch this hated world die. But as they watched, they saw the boy.

And, for the first time in their ageless lives, they felt pity. And sorrow.

But they also felt kind. And never would they feel kind again.

A young dragon by the name of Starfire watched with hope. He wanted to help this boy, he wanted to protect him from the evils this world showed. A five year old boy, about to die, was to be saved by a dragon. The first dragon who cared.

As the clouds moved to cover the planet, and lighting flashed with cold intelligence, the dragon flew down to earth. The boy still stood, the only one there, watching the skies. That's all he wanted to see, the flash of light, then nothing.

But he would live. Today was not the day he died.

Starfire flew down and grasped the boy in his claws, swooping skyward toward the moon. As they landed, the boy looked around in wonder. He didn't speak a word, just smiled. He was alive.

The dragon gently placed him on a bench in the palace, with all the creatures staring at the boy in wonder. Never had they seen someone so helpless, so frail. And never had they cared so much for a human being.

However, the human being did not care much for them.

Sad yet? Don't be. He grows to love them.

"Why…." He asked in a voice like a whisper of wind, and so nobody heard him but a mouse on his shoe.

"Little human, do you have a question?" it squeaked.

"Yes sir, why was I saved?" he asked in a trembling voice like the flutter of leaves.

The mouse chirped with laughter. "I am not a 'sir' small human. I am just a mouse. The first mouse, so I shall live, and be the last mouse. As will the first of all creatures, for we are gods, in a way. But why you were saved, I do not know. These creatures have never shed a tear, have done nothing but scorned the light, and now they are saving the species they so despise. Small human, I think that you may have just done something nobody has yet made them do since the dawn of days."

"And…what is that, sir?" asked the boy in a voice like the shiver of the air.

"Kindness, small human. You made them kind, if only for a moment." Said the mouse with appreciation. "Skyfire is the dragon who saved you, he is young and has not yet become cold and hard like these others. Tragedy has not yet shaped him into a warrior." He said after a pause, "Small human, do you know what I think?"  
"Yes?" asked the boy, "Well…no."

"I think you are about to have an adventure that will either kill you…or shape you." Said the mouse. "We shall see, for all happens in good time."

The boy stared at the mouse. "But I don't even have a name.'

"You shall be called…Nadi." The mouse decided. "After the first man that I met."

The boy nodded low. "Thank you sir."

And then the moon heard them.

And do you know what he did next?


End file.
